The project received the green light in the fall of 2001 as a limited-edition model designed to bridge the gaps between the past, the present and the future of Mustang.
The Scoop on Design
Mach 1 was designed in Ford?s Living Legends Studio in Dearborn, Michigan, where all other Mustangs, plus the Thunderbird and the GT40, are designed. The Living Legends Studio, which also directed the design of the Forty-Nine concept through Ford?s California Design Studio, was created in July of 2000 to bring together the creativity of designers involved in related iconic cars of the present and future.
?Ford is known for great trucks and SUVs,? says J Mays, Ford Motor Company vice president of Design. ?But it?s our Living Legends that put the polish on the Ford oval and make people dream about cars again.?
The Mach 1 features exterior enhancements that visually and emotionally connect it to the 1969 Mach 1 fastback.
Perhaps the most visually arresting and totally unique design cue on the Mach 1 is the ?shaker scoop.? But in keeping with performance Mustang heritage, the scoop is not only appearance enhancing, but functional. The ?ram air? scoop, fitted through an opening in the hood, channels fresh air directly to the intake runners increasing the breathing and optimizing intake turbulence for improved power and torque.